Method of degumming fibers



Patented Feb. 25, 193 1,748,832

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I ELISEE DUHAMEL, 0F ROUBAIX, FRANCE AMETHOD or nrzeunuume FIBERS 'Io Drawing. Application filed'Marcli 15,1929, Serial No. 347,489; and in France March 5,1828.

It is a known fact that, before certain textile fibers such, forinstance, as ramie can be used for textile purposes they must first ofall be de-wooded, that is, separated from the ligneous part, after whichthe fibers thus ,de-

wooded have'to be de-gummed, that is, there must be removed from thesefibers-that matter by which the various fibers are united to oneanother.

10 It has already been attempted to perfect such de-gumming eithermechanically or chemically. Both methods have failed to give resultssuccessful enough to produce a fiber suitable for textile purposes.

1 The present invention has for its'object a method of de-gumming ramieand like fibers such as nettle, flax, bark fibers, etc., consisting inallowing concentrated suint to act upon the fibers which may or may notbe de wooded. The concentration of the suint is at least 8 B.

The fibers are immersed in this suint liquor which has been brought to atemperature close to that of ebullition. The duration of the contactwill vary according to the character of the fibers under treatment. v

A convenient mode of operation consists in proceeding by shortimmersions, for instance each of ten minutes duration, a pressing stepbeing-intercalated between any two successive immersions. When thede-gumming process by means of suint is completed, the fibers aresubmitted to a warm or cold rinsing opera-- tion which, if desired, maybe complemented by washing with soap, then rinsing anew.

I claim as m invention:

1. A metho of de-gumming of textile fibers which consists inimmersing-said fibers in a hot suint bath.

40 2. A method of de-gumming of textile fibers which consists inimmersing said fibers. in a hot suint bath having a concentration of, atleast 8 B, at a temperature close to" that of ebullition. 4 In testimonywhereof I-aflix my signature.

ELIISEE CHARLES DUHAMEILY

